Anthony Barden

Graduated in 2009 with a major in Film Scoring. Principal instrument: guitar.

Position: Heath IT Business Analyst (software administrator) at Michigan Medicine, a large hospital affiliated with the University of Michigan. Specializing in the use and configuration of the software EPIC, which is used in the medical field, Anthony works with doctors and nurses to make sure the software does what they need. His time is divided roughly evenly between fixing software problems and designing/implementing upgrades.

Overview: After graduation, Anthony wanted to do film scoring, but chose to move to Michigan to be with his girlfriend (now wife). Unable to find much work (or network) where he was, Anthony took a day job with a property-management company. His now-father-in-law offered Anthony a position in his business as a mortgage broker, and Anthony spent a year getting the credentials. However, the housing market was terrible and he got very little work in this commission-based job. Moreover, he found the work dull. Anthony recalled that he enjoyed working with technology at Berklee and decide that he would make a good career path. In 2011 he started his Masters in Computer Information Systems from Eastern Michigan University, graduating in 2013.

While in grad school, Anthony decided that Medical IT would be a good career path. He applied and got a job at a technology-help desk in a hospital, where he worked while finishing his program. Sadly, the hospital had a hiring freeze. Upon graduation, Anthony took a low-paid summer internship at Michigan Medicine where he learned to use EPIC, and as the internship ended he was offered his current job.

Choice Quotes: “I was in grad school studying information systems. I stumbled across healthcare IT and it was interesting, mainly because the while health care industry was so far behind–until recently it was all on paper. I figured there would be many great career opportunities in that field.”

“What I like most about my job is helping people–helping the system work better so that providers can take better care of patients. I’ts rewarding when I help a group with a system improvement–you can tell they’re grateful for it, and sometimes you can see direct results, which is pretty cool–such as alerts if medications are conflicting, and reminders to take medication.”

“The internship I did after grad school–the right move at the right time. I met all the people who could get my career to the next level. I got to shadow people with all this knowledge. I got a sense of what folks were struggling with. I got full Epic training–EPIC is in high demand, but you’re only allowed to learn it if you’re using it–I learned how the hospital’s systems worked.

“If you’re interested in working in healthcare IT, get any exposure to healthcare and health IT that you can! Even if you’re just being a clerk. So many workflows are unique to health care, so the more you get exposure to how it work and the language used the better a position you’ll be in. Also, I did well by working at service desks. You get trained on the system, you learn to troubleshoot, about customer service, and you see patterns in what people struggle with. Another thought is to go work for EPIC, or for a medical IT consulting firm, as those are other ways you can get an EPIC certification. If you can get that certification you’ll get so many opportunities!”

Anthony with his family. “Recruiters reach out to me with job offers 3-5 times per week offering me jobs across the country. So many health systems are trying to catch up, but not enough people have EPIC certifications. I could make more money as a consultant, constantly traveling. But I like the flexibility of my job and my work/life balance. It’s nice to be able to come in late or take a day off if my kids are sick.”

Anthony still plays guitar sometimes writes music, but mainly for his own enjoyment. “Music is my way to unwind, relax, be creative. I hope that someday my girls will be into it–family jam time!”

“I wish everyone the best of luck in pursuing your musical dream. Some of you may find that it can’t be 100% of your income, but that’s OK. For me, music is a small portion of my day and 0% of my income. That said, music is still very important to me. I learned some great lessons at Berklee and wouldn’t change what I did.”